Workshops

Sean Haleen (500 E-RYT) is a celebrated Hatha yoga teacher and practitioner who teaches full time at Yoga Tree San Francisco’s 200- and 500-hour teacher training program, and spreads his passion for alignment by teaching Joyful Alignment workshops at studios across the United States. We’re pleased to offer THREE opportunities to practice with Sean on March 31 and April 1. Join Sean for a special class Friday March 31 at 6:00pm (please see our Class Schedule), and at these two workshops.

Sequencing is one of the skills that can really distinguish “just another yoga class” from a totally transformational yoga experience! Sequencing is the arrangement of asana within a yoga class that holds the understanding of the body’s intelligence, as well as key movement patterns and a strategy for making intelligent progression over time.

Mantras are one technique that has been used for both ritual and meditation for thousands of years, but what exactly are these repetitive phrases and words all about? Come and explore the ins and outs of Magnificent Mantras from the progressive lens of Tantric Yoga Philosophy.

The heart chakra's energy is beautiful, powerful, and vast in its potential. This energy center offers a bounty of resources that becomes available to us as we learn how to nurture our heart. When we cultivate open-heartedness in our relationships with self and others, we experience greater joy, equanimity and compassion.

Did you know that there are 100,000-200,000 nerves in the sole of each of your feet? And that your feet have the potential to be just as dextrous and functional as your hands? The soles of the feet are some of the most sensitive and receptive parts of the human body, and when we walk barefoot they receive a huge amount of constant input that helps improve balance, strength, and stability throughout the body.

What is Sacred Activism? How can spiritual practice feed our work for peace and justice in the world? How can justice work and activism complete and enrich the process of spiritual introspection? Join Kate Fontana and Vania Kent, Co-Directors of Tacoma’s own nonprofit yoga studio Samdhana-Karana Yoga, for an afternoon of yoga practice, storytelling, and exploration of what it means and what it can look like to live life in the sacred space where our unique gifts meet the world’s needs.

Any natural history of yoga has to be grounded with conceptions of the body and it’s purpose through time. We’ll look at Indian sources for the cosmic body, the body of sacrifice, the body as temple, the meanings of dismemberment and mortification in mythology, and then the “hydraulic awakening laboratory” of the medieval Tantric body. We’ll look at the confusing way in which “hatha” has been translated—as “violent exertion”. Is that accurate?

Is your upper body sore and tired?If you want to find a way to refresh your head/neck, shoulders, lower/upper back, and arms/hands, then you need to be here!

In this workshop we'll take 2.5 hours to systematically reset the upper body using massage therapy balls for deep tissue release, and unwind via yoga and corrective exercises. You’ll leave with a sense of ease, balance, length, and lightness.

Stressed? Overwhelmed? Exhausted? This workshop offers an experience to reset your nervous system and help your body relax.The combination of the healing effects of the SoulMat and the soothing sounds of Sound Bath will offer you a deeply rejuvenating hour, not unlike the benefits of a massage.

Megan Sloan will use crystal singing bowls and the vibrational qualities of sound to help release energy that is no longer needed and move you into a deeper state of healing and relaxation. Chiara Guerrieri will introduce the SoulMat—a specially designed self-care tool crafted in Italy and finding its way to the U.S. The SoulMat promotes alignment and relieves deeply-held stress as the spine decompresses, thinking slows and your nervous system settles down.

Every teacher is faced with uncomfortable situations and challenging relationships. It is during these times we find ourselves calling into question our understanding of the situation and how we act or think in relation to it. Many of these instances are informed by our personal values and ethics, two components that are central to who we are, yet which are rarely examined after our initial teacher trainings. As such, we may find ourselves holding onto loosely shaped ideas around what yoga can teach us about the best course of action or instinctual responses that "feel" right.

Flow is a term used in Qi Gong that describes effortless power and energy. Qi Gong is designed to help practitioners to discover flow for themselves through deep breathing, stretching, energy enlivening exercises, and graceful fluid movements. Qi Gong is mindfulness in motion and brings awareness into the present moment through movement.

Saturday: Qi Gong for a Healthy Spine

Called the "art of preventing disease and prolonging life," Qi Gong helps practitioners get out of pain and cultivate healthy vitality from within. The spine is a central pillar of energy within the body. When the energy of the spine is released, practitioners have access to inner strength and power.

In the Tantric tradition, the full moon represents the fullness and glowing radiance of our consciousness. When the moon is full, it is said that it drips nectar down into us and reminds us of our inherent light and fullness. Gazing, chanting, and basking in the moon at this time can bring forth deep healing and profound stillness of being. As we practice the full mandala of yogic arts (movement, chanting, pranayama, meditation and rest), we dance and honor the fullness of our embodiment; body, breath, mind, heart. This practice is a place to release the accumulated stress of the month and prepare for the month to come. All are welcome to this circle.

Just as the acorn holds the entirety of the oak tree within it, we hold within ourselves a full and unique human being. For the tree to reach its optimal expression it needs the right combination of soil, water, light and attention. We are the same and the practices of yoga are a beautiful way to nourish our body-mind-hearts with movement, breath, light and awareness. With the dawning of a new year we have the cyclical gift of renewal. This new start is a beautiful time to rediscover what supports and nourishes us so that we can fully express and embody our most authentic self, moment to moment, breath to breath. Come enjoy the blessings of community and practice on this auspicious first day of the year. All levels welcome.

Clear away the stress of the holidays with an easy, follow along practice designed to release old, stagnant energy from the body.

We'll move in ways that free up blocked energy from our muscles, joints and organs. We'll practice movements that replenish and revitalize our body's energy pathways and internal systems. The class will end with a restorative pose and guided visualization. This will be a great way to start the new year with renewed vitality and intention.

In the midst of Winter Solstice week and the busy winter holidays, come explore and honor your own evolving balance of lightness and darkness through movement, stillness, and by being bathed in energy as sound. Join Nicole Bratt for a sweet gentle and Restorative yoga practice, accompanied by a healing sound bath by Amber West.

In the Tantric tradition, the full moon represents the fullness and glowing radiance of our consciousness. When the moon is full, it is said that it drips nectar down into us and reminds us of our inherent light and fullness. Gazing, chanting, and basking in the moon at this time can bring forth deep healing and profound stillness of being. As we practice the full mandala of yogic arts (movement, chanting, pranayama, meditation and rest) we dance and honor the fullness of our embodiment; body, breath, mind, heart. This practice is a place to release the accumulated stress of the month and prepare for the month to come. All are welcome to this circle.

Yoga is an ingenious science and art that often begins with the physical practice and later evolves into a greater understanding of the potency of the breath. Come and explore breathing techniques to create more vitality, deepen your focus, and cleanse your body from the inside out. With a breath exploration in place you'll dive into a more robust experience of meditation inspired by the Tantric tradition of yoga. Learn the philosophical differences and views on meditation, experience a practice that transcends the requirements for stillness of body and a quiet mind, and customize your own meditation techniques to fit your current life and desires.

Join Amy for a nourishing yoga practice to help you digest and restore after the great feast. We’ll tell the story of Agni, the ancient fire god, who helps us to assimilate life’s beautiful & difficult experiences so that we can turn them into nourishment and nectar. This practice will be appropriate for students of all levels.

Gratitude has evolutionary roots and is one of the earliest modes of human communication. We have strong instincts to communicate and understand that emotion. The language of gratitude is pre-verbal. Given these deep roots of gratitude, it should perhaps come as no surprise that it is associated with striking health benefits. In many studies grateful people report fewer symptoms of illness, are less bothered by aches and pains, enjoy better sleep quality, and have stronger immune systems. This is true not only among people who are naturally grateful but among those whom researchers prompted to feel more gratitude over time. As they became more grateful, their health seemed to improve.

This retreat is an invitation to come home to yourself and reconnect to the wisdom and beauty of your own embodiment. Through the practices of somatic movement and deep perceiving as well as yoga asana, pranayama and meditation we will re-enliven our deep and abiding presence of being. We will slow down to allow ourselves to reclaim the innate rhythm of our body and revel in the nourishment of this sacred land and enriching waters. You are invited to join this circle of renewal and rediscover your own wild and deep Living Presence.

In the Tantric tradition, the full moon represents the fullness and glowing radiance of our consciousness. When the moon is full, it is said that it drips nectar down into us and reminds us of our inherent light and fullness. Gazing, chanting, and basking in the moon at this time can bring forth deep healing and profound stillness of being. As we practice the full mandala of yogic arts (movement, chanting, pranayama, meditation and rest) we dance and honor the fullness of our embodiment; body, breath, mind, heart. This practice is a place to release the accumulated stress of the month and prepare for the month to come. All are welcome to this circle.

For those enrolled in our advanced 300hr Teacher Training program only, the associated Practicum is offered separately from the two-day training. This session will help you meet the Yoga Alliance requirements to complete the 25 required hours of Practicum, andwill include practice teaching, receiving and giving feedback, observing others teaching, and assisting while others are teaching.

Students often come to yoga on the recommendation that it will help them with an injury, chronic pain, improve their breathing or posture, etc. And while we know that the yoga practice can be profoundly healing on many levels, there is little time in a 200-hour Teacher Training to address the nuances and scope of a therapeutic yoga practice. The goal of this weekend is to explore in depth how we as teachers can support our students’ individual therapeutic needs in the context of leading a yoga class or private lesson.

Calling all walkers, hikers, bikers, sitters, or anyone who wants to offer attention and relief to feet, legs, and glutes! In this workshop we'll take 2 hours to systematically reset the lower body using massage therapy balls for deep tissue release, and unwind via yoga and corrective exercises. You’ll leave with a sense of ease, balance, and groundedness.

For those enrolled in our advanced 300hr Teacher Training program only, the associated Practicum is offered separately from the two-day training. This session will help you meet the Yoga Alliance requirements to complete the 25 required hours of Practicum, andwill include practice teaching, receiving and giving feedback, observing others teaching, and assisting while others are teaching.

The yoga population is aging, and aging well. Older students who practice yoga tend to have fewer injuries, heal more quickly, and maintain more optimal movement. Denise and Wendy, who are both in their 60’s (gasp!) have seen their own practices change as they have aged. Denise: “Although I can’t do the more extreme poses I could do when I was young (and don’t really want to), I feel more integrated, more balanced between strength and flexibility, and more at home in my body than I ever have.”

Join Claudette, Danny, and a crew of talented musicians for a wonderful evening of sweet melodic chanting. Share your voice (or just sit back and listen or dance) and help us make music (there will be little instruments to choose from). Chanting is a wonderful opportunity to extend your breath, meditate, feel connection, play with energy, and open up to the various facets of your multi-dimensional being. We’ll begin with a small discussion of what chanting is and is not and from there invoke various flavors of the diverse energies which are in you, as you, and all around you. Everyone is welcome! Don’t think twice about your voice, it doesn’t matter! If you have ever sung in your shower or car (that, by the way, is everyone) come!

In the Tantric tradition, the full moon is personified as feminine. It is a time when moon or moon honoring can bring forth powerful stillness and healing. We'll follow the of the full moon, practicing a well-rounded mandala of yogic arts to both release accumulated and energetic congestion from the past month and create a more clarified inner space for the month to come. Each month's focus will draw upon the cycles of nature at that time.

Living means having emotions with a great variety and nuance. They can be profoundly helpful, provide guidance, and are often fleeting in nature. However, sometimes challenging emotions arise with upsetting consequences and often at the most inconvenient of times. For some of us, these emotions can shape our lives in rather dramatic and upsetting ways, reflecting powerful patterns in our lives. When we get stuck here, exploring yoga can help us to prevent or disrupt these patterns and help us unlock a greater variety of emotions that may have felt inaccessible for some time.